Which October Game Are You Most Looking Forward To?

The crazy games release schedule continues inexorably, and October is nearly upon us. It's time to examine the biggest launches of the month, and find out which games you don't want to miss.

Super Smash Bros. for 3DSDeveloped by Sora Ltd., Bandai Namco Games. Published by Nintendo. Releases October 3, 2014. Available on Nintendo 3DS.

Steven Bogos says:Super Smash Bros. has managed to become the killer app for Nintendo systems. After all, while Zelda, Mario, Metroid and Fire Emblem fans may disagree on what the best game for any given Nintendo system is, they can all find something to like in Smash Bros. (even if it's just beating on their least-favorite characters. I'm looking at you, Jigglypuff). The 3DS version is due out in October, and although it's not the traditional home console version we've been waiting to buy a Wii U for, it should be enough to whet the appetites of the most ravenous fans. I've spent some time with the Japanese release, and while the controls do take some getting used to, it really does feel like a game built specifically for the system, rather than a watered-down Wii U port.

The best thing about the new Smash Bros. is that as well as having something for every kind of fandom, it also has something for every kind of player. Casual gamers will love all the new maps, new gamemodes, and customization options, while the hardcore Smashers finally have a balanced, fair, arena to test their mettle with the rest of the world in the game's competitive online "for glory" mode. Then, of course, there are a whole bunch of new wild and wacky characters that are sure to put a smile on every player's face.

Alien IsolationDeveloped by The Creative Assembly. Published by SEGA. Releases October 7, 2014. Available on PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One.

Jim says: After the disaster that was Aliens: Colonial Marines, Sega knows it has to be extra careful with the marketing and release of Alien Isolation. So far, everything's looking promising - a horror stealth game that uses Alien, as opposed to Aliens, as its inspiration is one way to do something new with Xenomorphs, and Creative Assembly is a proven developer that seems to be nailing the feel of the original Ridley Scott movie perfectly. I really hope Isolation makes the Xenomorph into a credible threat once more, something scary and intimidating, and I hope we get something that truly lives up to the film from which it takes its cues.

I'm a little leery on the reliance of having a Ripley in the mix, even if it's Ellen's daughter this time, and the relegation of genuinely interesting gameplay modes to downloadable content is sketchy, but I'm still really hopeful for something great. It's a bold move, that's for sure - few "AAA" games would get a chance to present a single-player horror game, where hiding is favored over combat almost entirely. Stretching that out to a full game is going to be a challenge, to say nothing of selling an audience on it, but if Creative Assembly pulls it off, this could be the start of something awesome. Here's hoping!

Disclosure(s): Strauss Zelnick, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., is the head of ZelnickMedia, an investor in both Take-Two and Defy Media, LLC, our parent company. This article was published without approval or consent of ZelnickMedia or Take-Two.